We made four batches of this recipe from one spaghetti squash, but that, of course, would vary by the size of the spaghetti squash. (And you can also roast the seeds separately in the oven for a snack too!

It was very easy to mix up, and they were easy to fry, though it took a little to have them done on both sides. It helped to flatten them a bit with a fork when placing them in the pan. We ran out of ricotta on the last batch, so we swapped in some cottage cheese, which worked well. They turned out nicely crunchy and were flavorful- the garlic, cheese, and herbs were noticeable just by themselves. They’d make an excellent substitute/side in place of potato pancakes.

We thought they’d also be perfect with some cumin and cilantro in place of the Italian herbs/seasoning, and then they could be topped with salsa instead. They could also be good with curry powder in place of the Italian herbs/seasoning.

Well, it’s the Super Bowl again, and while my team is not playing, and we’re not having a party, it’s not a bad day to plan a quality meal. We had some beef tenderloin in the deep freezer, some Jones Farm bacon and thought a crock pot meal might be the way to go as an alternate to grilling in the cold and snow. (Thankfully, it’s stopped snowing.) I came across a recipe for a crock pot beef tenderloin via A Spicy Perspective:

A pile of onions and garlic ready to go in after the crock-potting of the tenderloin:

The tenderloin getting ready to begin its slow cooking- with the bacon juices marinating from the top!

We have a rosemary plant indoors that’s liking the window well enough, so thankfully, we had fresh rosemary.

After cooking a while, I added the remaining ingredients, but realized I was almost out of balsamic vinegar… But, no worries- you can make a substitute with red wine vinegar (which, thankfully, we have- no emergency trip to the store this time!) I used the last of the balsamic I had and filled in the rest with my substitute. It smells great so far- we should be eating during the game. (Finished product photo to follow!) Eat well, my friends! (Verdict: delicious!)

There’s still time to make some deliciousness for the ever-popular Super Bowl party…

Find out what the most popular Super Bowl Sunday snack Google searches are for each of the 50 states. (The map above is from the article.)

In Wisconsin, it appears that Buffalo Chicken Dip is the snack recipe to find! Little did I know that when I posted a recipe here previously for Buffalo Chicken Dip. It is also the snack searched for by Patriots fans in their home state.

Falcons fans in Georgia are looking for Pico de Gallo – also good! No matter which team you are cheering for, there’s always a good reason to snack deliciously with something homemade. What are your go-to/favorite Super Bowl Sunday snacks?

If you live in a locale where winter has settled in with its icy grip for the next few months, what’s a warm-weather-loving, green-seeking gardener to do (besides enjoying the houseplants)? Maybe check out your local seed library… While the concept been around for a little while– some part library, somewhat seed bank, it provides a means to share rare and heirloom seeds locally and make them more available. It’s not without controversy, as some companies have moved to protect plants that they see as their property.

I had previously been aware of Giant Hogweed‘s dangers, and noted when it was reported in Wisconsin recently. Certainly glad there was none of it around here, and then I found wild parsnip! Same theme; different plant.

This strikes a little closer to home- literally. I found a few plants in our yard, thankfully in an easy to access area from all sides. I don’t recall hearing anything about the plant up until now, and I don’t remember seeing it growing anywhere from when I was a kid. Other than the small patch of plants, it’s not close to our area that I’ve seen, but we don’t have to go far to see whole ditches and edges of fields full of it. The DNR and local media have shared more information now that the plant is in bloom with the summer season.

It looks fairly innocent, almost like tall dill!- nothing that would suggest that precautions are needed to deal with this thing. Mainly, my concern is for friends, family, and their kids who visit our place. It seeds like crazy, and the sap causes burns on skin in conjunction with sunlight (cloudy weather doesn’t make it safer!)

I’ve taken precautions to eliminate this noxious greenery– unfortunately, I didn’t catch it sooner. I’ve taken steps to kill the weeds at the roots, and dressed appropriately to remove and burn all the seedheads. Thankfully, it all was still fairly green, so I think we got to it in time before seed dispersal.

I’m not sure how it traveled to our yard since there’s not much else close around. Perhaps via creature travel… Watch out in your own outdoors and adventure safely to save yourself some trouble!

There’s nothing quite like grilling out, and one recipe that has turned asparagus-haters into asparagus-lovers in my family is grilled balsamic asparagus. There are quite a few tasty yet simple variations available online. Mine is as follows; amounts are determined by the amount of the veggie you are making. The coriander provides a citrus-y zing that goes well with the balsamic.

This recipe is easy to make in a skillet/wok, though flame grilling provides a better flavor, IMHO.

To prepare the spears, it’s not required to trim them with a knife or peel them. You can snap the spear in two towards the bottom (the more fibrous part will separate from the more tender part naturally).

Grilled Balsamic Asparagus

Bunch(es) of fresh asparagus spears

Olive or vegetable oil

Balsamic vinegar

Salt

Pepper

Coriander (crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle or use powdered coriander)

Rinse and prepare asparagus (as noted above). Put all ingredients into a sealable plastic bag and set in a baking pan (in case the bag leaks). Refrigerate and marinate for at least 1 hour, mixing at least once or twice, so all spears sit in the mixture/are coated well. Grill until the spears are cooked to desired doneness, rotating as needed. (I prefer to cook them until darker green, but not so much that they are mushy.) Serve hot.

Enjoy!

(And watch for grill flare-ups due to the oil; make sure to grill safe!)